Minister Congratulates Media & Communications Leaders

At a special awards luncheon at Marias By the Sea on 31July the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) six pioneers of communications in the Territory were honored.

This was the first such awards ceremony held by the TRC and the six stalwarts honoured were: Ms. Linnelle Abbott, Ms. Dora Harrigan and Mr. Vernon Pickering for Print Communication; Mr. Dave Douglas for Television Broadcasting; Mr. Meritt Herbert for Radio Broadcasting; and Mr. Arthur Swain for Telecommunications, in memoriam.

The event was part of the TRC’s celebration of over fifty years of communication in the British Virgin.

In his remarks at the luncheon, Minsiter for Communications and Works, Hon. Mark Vanterpool commended the honorees who he said have been an integral part of the development of media technology in the Virgin Islands.

“Each of you is to be highly commended for your pioneering interest in the field first of all, for your passion and your dedication “From Then To Now…”. Working under tremendous constraints decades ago, you persevered, looking ahead to the possibilities, and here we are today – a Territory that has benefited from the emergence of the print and broadcast media,” the Minister announced.

He further added: “It is certainly very fitting for the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission to be honouring you, in your respective areas. This year, 2014, is significant, in that we are celebrating over 50 years of technology and the evolution of communications in the Virgin Islands.”